Means for bracing the chassis-frames, running-boards, and fenders of automobiles.



Patented Mar. 4

H. E. KAILER. MEANS FOR BRACING THE CHASSIS FRAMES, RUNNING BOARDS, AND FENDERSIOF AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1.1. IDII.

U f .N .l/ @J u .Vf IIIII l f .if T .wll m Ig 7 n l f. Mm W ML I W M H LI VTI 0U/ AWA M 9 9 j lL l Q m 3 2J M Z 1 i citizen of the United States, and a 'resident iis mobile in which heretofore the sole support side of the frame 1n 5 edges, and under the i v.running boards are tive position,

imansron nnncnve i @vnr E. KAILER, or Annone, ILLINOIS. l j y THE omissis-FRAMES, RUNNING-Boelens, Ann rnnnnns or AUTOMOBILES.

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Specification of Letters Patent. 'I

Patenten Mai. a, raie.

Applicationled December 11, 1917. Serial Noi'206,582.

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY E. KAILER, of thecity of Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 'in Means for racing the Chassis-Frames, Running- Boards, and Fenders of'Automobiles, of-

which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act specification.

his invention relates to improvements and means for bracing the chassis frame, rurning board and fenders of automobiles, an structedV and arranged in the Ford autoof the running board is located toward their respective ends and consists of brackets riveted to, and depending from, the side bars of the chassis frame, provided with downf wardly projecting lugs, connected at each pairs, by means of transverse rods, adjustable by means of nuts screw-threaded thereon, and between which the depending lugs are clamped.

In practice, however, it is found that the rods bend, and remain bent, under the weight imposed upon the running board from the passengers entering and leaving the machine, with the result that the running boards tilt downward at their outer most favorable condltions produce objectionable vibrations throughout the chassis, further increased by the bending of these connecting rods.

JThe prime object of my invention, broadly stated, is to provide a means of directly bracing the side bars and supporting the running boards of a chassis, the construction of which is such that the chassis frame is substantially and maintained against tilting, and the chassis, as a whole, prevented from objectionable vibrations. i

More specifically stated, the object of my invention is to provide a brace for the side bars and support for the running boards of a chassis, whic may be so sprung as to mate- ,rially stii'en the side bars and maintain the running boards against tilting without ren dering either the running boards or the frames absolutely rigid against compression strains to which either may be subjected.

the running boards,

more particularly as theyare coni materially stifened, the

-taken on the llne 3`3of when located in its opera- Another object of my invention is to provide a brace for the frame and a support for extending transversely across the side bars of the frame and about the middle of the running boards, extending in parallel lines outwardly and beyond the side bars the ends of which'beneath the running boards diverge sufficiently to form a substantially broad support for the running boards, and lwhereby such brace may be suspended .from the side bars and adjusted in its operative position in the absence of any necessity for perforations through the brace.

rther object of my invention is to provide a brace performing the functions above described, constructed with minimum cost consistent with the strength and durability necessary tributed thereto, and which may be conveniently and quickly secured in its operative position on a Ford automobile without any change therein other than the substitution of a wood board for the blocks in the runningboard heretofore employed as a support between the end and supporting the brackets for the running board.

With these ends in View my invention finds its embodiment in certain features, novelty in the construction, combination, and arrangements of parts by which the said objects, and certain other objects, are attained but is hereinafter further described for producing results atin the accompanying drawings and more v particularly pointed out In said drawings Figure 1 is a top plan View of a chassis, in which my invention linds its embodiment, in itsoperative adjusted position.

Fig.,2 is'a longitudinal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detailed in the claims.

transverse section Fig. 1. Fig.- 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 5. is a similar view showing the bend in the brace and the position of the running board thereon before the brace is subjected to tension, and- Fig. 6`is a transverse section through the side bars showing the present rod and bracket construction in a Ford automoile. As commonly constructed, the chassis of a Ford automobile is provided with a frame,

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the side bars 5 and 6 of which are of channel iron connected adjacent to their ends by means of side bars 7 -7 and running boards 8 and 9, furnishing an end support for fenders 10-10.

'The running boards 8 and 9 are of sheet steel in the form of channels, and are sup- 1ported toward their ends respectively by rackets 11-11 and lf2-4Q.

Riveted to the side bars, as indicated Iat 12A, Fig. Q, and depending therefrom, the brackets are each provided with a lug and are connected in pairs transversely of the frame by rods lil-' ll, secured in the lugs13 by means of nuts 15-416, screw-tlneaded on the rods 14, and embracing the lugs 13.

The running board is secured to the brackets by means of bolts 17 a, which bolts pass through narrow blocks not shown, fitting between t-he flanges of the running board on a line with the bracket supports.

The rods connecting the brackets have no tendency to brace or stiffen the frame as4 a whole and so little upon the brackets that in a short time the rods bend and, as a result thereof, the brackets being made of malleable iron, they bend downwardly and acs cordingly tilt the running boards, the bend-- ing of the brackets being due to the weight of the occupants on making their entrance to and exit from the automobile, and which is more or less aggravated by the frequency 1u which occu-A pants some times jump on the running board. any means by which the running boards may be maintained against tilting and theV frames so braced as to eliminate objectionable vibrations will be a material and substantial improvement in the art.

In carrying out my invention I arranged two stock channel beams 17 and'18, and, after bending their respective extreme ends 19--19 and Ztl-20, as indicated in Fig. 1, spaced them apart by means of blocks E23, adjacent to their bent ends, and secured the channel beams and blocks together by means of rivets Q4, thereby providing sufficient: space between the channel beams for the passage of the shank 25 of hooks QG, which are respectively adapted to hook over upon the side bars 5 and 6, as indicated in Fig. El, for suspending the bent ends of the bars in a plane next below that ot the ruiming boards.

The ends of the opposing bars 17 and 18 are bent in opposite directions and of a sufificient distance apart to form an accordingly base support Jfor the running boards, as indicated in Fig. 5, which spread-apart ends are also bent upwardly at a slight angle with reference to the upper surface of the parallel portions of the bars.

The Shanks Q5 of the hooks 26 project between and below the side bars 5 and 6 and the running board nr It will, therefore, be apparent that menace are provided with screw threads 27 for nuts 28 and 29 respectively above and below the bars, and provide for an adjustable ulcrum, the weight for which is the running boards. By tightening the nuts 29 until the resistance offered by the running boards bolted as they are to the brackets attheir opposite ends, the upward bend in the arms may be straightened out more or lessand, in any event, until the running boards are substantially flattened upon the 'branching arms, as indicated in Fig. 3.

The runningboards are stif'fened by means of a plank 30, extending the length of the running boards, and filling in the entire space between the depending flanges of the running boards. which planks serve to stiffen the ruiming boards and distribute throughout the running boards the force exerted and concentrated against them by the diverging arms.

It is now to be observed that the force, produced by the tightening of the nuts 29,

against the parallel bars, until the upper and to a desirable degree when subjected to the weight of the occupant.

In conclusion, it is noted that for the embodiment oi my invention other cross sectional forms of bars than are shown and described may b e employed for the construction of the'brace, or the same forms in different positions, and that it would not loe a substantial departure from my invention to construct the brace bar from a' single beam split at the ends, although7 from the commercial standpoint, a two-piece spaced base bar is provided for the reason that the necessity of perforating the same :tor the passage through of the hook hangers is avoided, while, at the Sametime, the greatest assistance is given to the lbrace as a whole by the employment of separate bars spaced apart by blocks and secured by rivets.

Having described my invention, what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A brace support for the chassis of automobiles, comprising a bar the sides of which diverge and adjacent the ends thereof forming a broad support for the running boards, means Jfor suspending said bar from the chassis frame and connecting the running boards therewith, and means for Hexirunning'boards, means for pending said bars from thepside bars of theupwardly,

meente bly curving said bars in'an upward direction and bending their vend portions in the opposite directions.

Q. A brace for the chassis-of automobiles, comprising spaced parallel bars, the end portions of which are spread' apart to form a support for the running board, means for suspending said bars from the chassis frame,

and means. for flexibly trussing saidbars.

3. A brace for the chassis of an automo-I bile, comprising spaced 'parallel bars, diverging laterally and bent upwardly toward their ends and forming a support for the attachably suschassisframe, and means'for adjustably flexing the bars upwardly,land, concurrently end thereof to ,approxitherewith, the outer mately a horizontal plane.

4. kA brace for the chassis of an automa bile, comprising spaced channel bars, means for .rigidly connecting said Ybars,.the ends of whichbars ,means forsuspending saidbars fromthe chassis frame,l andmeans for adjustably iexing the straight portions of said Y the outer ends of which b are spread apart and inclined;

bars upwardly, and the upwardly bent end downwardly, to a'plane ap roximately that of the straight portions oftlie bars, whereby the frame s substantially stiiened, andthe running boards are permanently maintained against tilting. Y 5 y.

5. A brace'- for the chassis of an automobile, comprising parallel spaced 'channel bars, means for rigidly connecting said bars, hooks adapted for suspending said bars from the sidebars of the chassis zrunne, theshanks of which hooks project betweenv said bars, ars are spread apart and support the running boards about midway oftheir length, and means for iiexfing said bars at intervals4 of theirlength, .whereby the frameis stifeued and the running boards maintained against tilting.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set l my hand and affixed my -seal this eighth day of December 1).'1917.` y

' 'HARVE7 E, KAlILER.;` [ns] Witnesses: f'

JN0. G. Emorr, ANNA V. DEMrsmr. 

